Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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561. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the increased numbers of women discovering breast cancer and other cancers in their later years; and if he has proposals to extend breast check particularly to older women [42066/13]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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562. To ask the Minister for Health in view of the growth of cancers in the general population if he has proposals to extend breast check or a similar programme to men who are susceptible to cancer [42067/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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564. To ask the Minister for Health in view of the fact that a second peak in incidence of breast cancer is seen in the over 70s, the reason the breast check screening programme stops at 64 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42118/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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599. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the roll-out of Breastcheck; the yet to be established elements of the infrastructure of this service; his plans to extend access to a younger age group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42431/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 561, 562, 564 and 599 together.

I advise the Deputies that the Cancer Registry projects that cancer incidence will grow by nearly 50% over the 10 years from 2010 to 2020.

The BreastCheck Programme currently provides free mammograms to all women aged 50-64. The Programme for Government includes provision for the extension of BreastCheck to women in the 65-69 age group, in keeping with EU Guidelines on effective screening for breast cancer. A business case from the HSE National Cancer Screening Service for the age extension of BreastCheck has recently been submitted to my Department and is currently being examined. In all, the National Cancer Screening Service delivers three population based cancer screening programmes: BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen. BowelScreen is the first cancer screening programme for both men and women.

In relation to prostate cancer, the Board of the National Cancer Screening Service undertook a review of available evidence in relation to the potential effectiveness of introducing a national population-based prostate cancer screening programme. It found that current evidence is insufficient to recommend a population based screening programme as such screening may not improve survival or people's quality of life.

However, the National Cancer Control Programme has established rapid access prostate cancer clinics in the eight designated cancer centres to ensure that men who have urological symptoms and/or abnormal PSA test results are seen in a timely way by urologists, and that appropriate diagnostic tests are carried out and multi-disciplinary treatment is planned as necessary.